Advanced French: The Quill and the Dress: French Women Writers in Early Modern France

This course will focus on all aspects of the strong influence that women exerted on literature and culture in France during the period from the Renaissance to the French Revolution. We’ll study the historical and social implications of the phenomenon of the “salon,” perceived as a space of freedom for women to redefine the literary landscape of their time. We’ll look at how women writers challenged their male colleagues at the heart of their esthetic and ideological dominance but also how intellectually independent women were, in return, perceived by society. We’ll focus on major subversive masterpieces written by women during the period, but we’ll also explore the vast implications of the idea of a feminine form of writing among male writers. In such a rich context of past debates and literary works, we’ll also try to bring into our discussion the contribution of recent feminist theory in order to foster a dialogue across the centuries. Authors studied will notably include: Mlle de Scudery, Corneille, Molière, Mme. de Sévigné, Mme de Lafayette, Mme. de Graffigny, Diderot, Mme. du Chatelet, Rousseau, Mme. Roland, Beaumarchais. Course conducted in French. Admission by placement test to be taken during interview week at the beginning of the fall semester or completion of Intermediate French II or higher.